AFTER decades of living in obscurity, the which contain the mausoleums of venerated Salafists (Muslim fundamentalists who adhere doggedly to outdated dogmas) are back, thanks to the January 25 revolution. However, instead of responding to society's overtures to peacefully integrate themselves with other members of the public, they have been running round the country spreading their outrageous teachings, which are strongly challenged by influential Muslim clerics and scholars. Although the Salafists, together with different political and religious forces, are the first to savour the revolution's fruit (freedom and dignity), they've lost no time in browbeating and even terrorising their opponents into accepting their anachronistic vision of Islam. Ignoring warnings that their outrageous campaign and crimes will damage the image of Islam, they even planned to destroy mosques, clerics and leaders of Sufi orders. They only backed down when the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar (the highest religious institution in Isalm), Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayyeb, and the Mufti of Egypt (a leading Muslim cleric), Sheikh Ali Gomaa, spoke out. Nonetheless, the Mufti of Egypt was surely right when he rejected calls for the Salafists to be denied the right to express themselves openly and freely, even though their understanding of Islam and its teachings is erroneous. “Giving the Salafists freedom of expression will draw the public's attention to the detrimental impact of their vision on Islam and society,” the Mufti of the Republic said. The Salafists should reciprocate by expressing themselves peacefully – not compelling others to listen to them, whether their opponents like their product or not.
